Meet: Evan The Celebrity Artist

NAME: Evan Christopher Martin
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
TALENTS: Artist, Creator, Sketches

What artists do you look up to?
Artists that inspire and motivate me are Andre Walker, Robert Peterson, Ashley Cole, Justin Richburg, and Nessie Blaze. I used to want to be good at drawing but after seeing these artists artwork, I want to be a beast. I want the photorealism of Andre Walker and Ashley Cole. I want to express concepts like Justin Richburg. I want to use an infinite amount of colors to illustrate a portrait like Robert Peterson. I want to grind like Nessie Blaze.

How would you describe your art (sketching, drawing, painting, etc.)?
I have three main ways I do my art. All begin with a nasty rough draft of a person or scene, just to get it out of my head and on paper/ tablet.

Digital Portraits: I use digital paint or copic markers to create realistic portraits.
Vector Art: I use Adobe Illustrator to make my sketches into a cartoon and to give it a clean look.
Crayon Portraits: I use crayons to draw people. I enjoy this medium the most because experimenting and discovering the many ways to create depth and value through the exploration of colors is magic.

I know you draw a lot of celebrities. Have any reached out to you regarding your artwork?
I receive likes, comments, and rarely a follow by some of the celebrities I draw. Most notable engagement from a celebrity is when they share my artwork on their respective account. I appreciate any recognition because I am usually listening or watching that celebrity perform while I am drawing them. They are giving me energy to draw them. It is dope that I am feeding off their art to do my art, which is making art of them. For example, if I am drawing Kendrick Lamar, I am only listening to Kendrick until I complete the portrait.

Which celebrity is next on your list to draw?
Maybe Dave Chappelle or Allen Iverson. I really don’t know. I usually pick who I am going to draw based on the difficulty of drawing that person and if that person actually “affects” me. Basically if I can feel their energy, then I will consider drawing them. Sometimes, I will draw a rapper or actor because a friend suggested it. Sometimes, I am going through the highs and lows, a song randomly plays, and it has that uncanny ability to describe my feelings and I must draw that music artist.

Do you exhibit your work anywhere? If so, where will you be next? Do you have a website where people can buy your stuff?
I currently do not exhibit my work, but I am working on showcasing my artwork at Trapxart LA. My website is www.evan-martin.com or check out my Instagram, @evanski35 to request custom work or buy prints.

Did you take art classes as a kid? What steps did you take to cultivate your craftsmanship?
As a kid I did not take art classes. However, I did draw or “doodle” any and everywhere. I always wanted to just sit and create art all day long so anytime I am sitting or waiting, I either take out a piece of paper or my tablet (I take it with me Everywhere) and I draw. I draw on the train, bus, on my lunch break|, even in lines at the bank or DMV.

My favorite part of an artwork is the process. First, I find the music track that describes my feeling to get me in the zone. Once I am in the zone, I am no longer a slave to time, hunger subsides, the world around me cease to exist and I am in harmony with my art. I swear I am in another dimension. True beauty. To get better at my craft, I trust the process and draw subjects that challenge my ability. Usually it’s woman’s hair or concept drawing. For women’s hair, I would pick a celebrity with a “tough” hairstyle. For concept drawing, I will draw a zombie basketball player or cartoonize rap lyrics to convey a message. I also explore different methods to approach a style or type of drawing.

What advice would you give young artists who want to pursue art full time?

I do not do art full time yet. I teach it and I freelance on the side. Nevertheless, I will work on my art until art is my work. With that being said, my advice is always give thanks to God, create every single day, and learn to accept failure. Failure is not negative. It is growth. No one is perfect, but seeing and knowing your mistakes can lead to making better choices.

Meet: Prince Kofi The Vibe Maker

IG: @ForeverKofi

NAME:  Prince Kofi
LOCATION: Mid City LA
TALENTS: Writer, Singer, Rapper, Vibe Creator

How do you describe your music sound/vibe?

This is a hard question for me. I usually like to consider myself an enigma, because as a writer, I have created sounds in almost every genre, and even as an artist I love to venture anywhere from Hip Hop to R&B, to Rock Soul, Neo Soul, and some things in between. At the base of it, my sound is one you can trust, one that makes you feel good, no matter the mood, like comfort food, or a warm embrace.

Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere, whether from life experience, memories, stories friends tell me, things I see, do, or even am around. Sometimes I tell someone else's story, sometimes I blend the past with the present, just depends what kind of journey I want to take the listener on.

How did you get started in music? What's the ultimate goal?

When I was young my mother put me in the church choir, she couldn't sing so as soon as she heard me she kinda lived through me, had me singing at graduations around town and stuff like that. There are a lot of people who know me as the young boy who sang R. Kelly "I Believe I Can Fly" in my hometown. It grew for me from poetry writing later as I continued to hone my craft. 

My ultimate goal is to one day expand my fan base and tour the world, meet people from all walks of life, ask them how they connected to my music. This way I can bring fans together, bring more people together and use my influence to be a voice of change, just to leave the world better off than I came to it. I really wanna use this gift to heal, hopefully I can get that chance sooner than later.

What are your thoughts on "mumble rap"?

HA! I mean I know that things will change and evolve, I think that some of it serves its purpose, we have more access to information in the past kids that age wouldn't even have a studio, now we got everyone making whatever comes to mind. Some of it is artistic, Yachty, Uzi, and more like them created their own lane. My question is if it will be timeless, I mean their generation might play that when they are old, but I don't think it will last like that not all of it anyway, there are some songs that can stand the test of time, but overall I think it'll phase out over the next decade or so.

If you could collab with any major artists, who would it be and why?

That's a tough one, I would say Pharell. He understands music in such a different way, and I think he could bring the best out of me if we worked together. If you read this sign me! Haha.

Which do you enjoy more - creating R&B songs or Hip Hop slappers?

I enjoy R&B more because I can really take someone on an emotional journey, I can really pull things out of them that they didn't even know they were feeling. Rap is an art in itself don't get me wrong, but I feel R&B sometimes can be harder to craft, a real story a real feeling and vibe.

Where do you see Hip Hop in the next 2 years?

I see it still changing, still evolving, and presenting us with new sounds, vibes, and waves we didn't see coming, but it's up to the fans, so I hope that it continues to grow and change for the better. It has a responsibility to be the voice of a disenfranchised people, we can't forget that. We must pay homage, and do the duty that Hip Hop was created to carry out, I'm just along for the ride.

 

Meet: Dominic McDonald AKA "Nerd"

IG: @nerdraps

NAME: Dominic McDonald AKA NERD

AGE: 29

TALENTS: Poet, Arthur and MC

LOCATION: Long Beach, CA

Why do they call you "NERD"? Is this a nickname you chose or others chose for you?

I got the name “Nerd” in High School by one of the Seniors when I was a junior. A man who became one of my low key mentors at that age.  I started exploring into freestyle rapping in 2001 and I would rap in the ciphers that he would beatbox for. I’ll never forget the reaction (one that I still get to this day) on his face like “um, what’s he bout to do?” He must have been impressed because he said, “When I see you I’m going to call you Nerd” and he did the Star Track sign of the N.E.R.D band fame. It kinda stuck with me after that and that was my stage name.

How would you describe your artistry?

Versatile. I always push myself to do something that is not like the last piece so no one can say that they have me figured out right away. I have a unique story with many sides to offer so I feel that I should introduce them to my audience in sections. That is why I just don’t do poems about love, or only poems about politics. Additionally I like to philosophize and present fresh outlooks on life. Everyone has a unique story and try my best to present mine in my creative expressions.

What topics do you usually like to write about?

I like to tell stories - my stories, your stories, anyone’s. I am introducing myself to the world at the moment so I feel like writing about myself right now is important. When I wrote my first poetry book “The Love Song of D. Nerd McDonald”, I told the story through poems of my experiences with love and relationships from my late teens to my mid-20s. These moments in time relate to people because they are either going through the same things or they have overcame those experiences. I enjoy relating to people because I feel like it’s not “just me” *laughs*.

When did you start writing poetry?

My poetry was actually branched off of from my rapping. I wanted to become a rapper before I was a poet. Then when Def Poetry Jam started airing on TV it inspired some people in my high school to start a Def Poets club and at first I just did verses without the beat but then I played around with different styles and tried to emulate the poetry I was reading in my English class. I would then go on to be a part of the Poetry Slam team in college. Poetry has been in my caliber ever since.

What poets/artists do you look up to and aspire to be like?

I’ve always enjoyed various African American poets from different periods in American History. I honestly think that some rappers are poets. I was heavily influenced by Hip Hop music being that my stepfather was a DJ and my dad collected albums. I also followed a lot of the classic recorded poets such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron. Right now I look up to a poet named Paul Mabon. He has frequented Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles and I also have had the chance to perform for him before. His style is very comedic and dramatic which is the tones that I like to write my pieces in.

Where do you see spoken word/poetry in the next 5 to 10 years?

I see spoken word going into new places as far as production. Last year I saw a Los Angeles based production organization put on a poetry stage play for the first time. You have a world known play like Hamilton which uses a lot of poetic material and is enjoyable. Other than that, poetry is a classic activity like skateboarding or playing baseball, I don’t really see it doing anything but be better.

What is your favorite piece that you've written and why?

My most favorite piece to date is a poem called “Captain Save a Ho”. It’s a pretty fun piece and it came from a writing prompt about a “less than super, hero”.

I follow your Snapchat and you seem to like the topic of relationships and being single. What type of lucky lady are you looking for?

I personally believe that if you haven’t found the love of your live in high school or college, you’re screwed. *laughs* Just kidding! But dating in LA is such a hard thing to do because there is so much variety and space it can be overwhelming and in most of my cases very frustrating. Over the years though, I have gotten to figure out what I like and I want I don’t like in a potential partner and really want someone that is an affectionate friend and a leader in her community.

When is your next show?

I will be performing at The Loft on Avalon in the Compton area on February 3^rd at 8 p.m. for a bi-weekly Open Mic Night. Other than that you can catch me at a weekly open mic in the Los Angeles or Long Beach area. I usually post my shows on my Instagram page @nerdraps or on Facebook under Dominic Nerd McDonald.